I just needed to get this diary out because I can see more clearly than ever before the rationale as to why Hillary Clinton has not dropped out of the Democratic race, and why she may take it all the way to the Convention in Denver.
In my estimation she is pushing all of her chips on the table right now in an effort to either win the nomination, or to walk a way a complete disaster with nothing to show for her efforts, and ill-will that she may experience for the rest of her lifetime.
This is her two-fold attack to wrestle the nomination from Barack:
Front 1
Make sure the delegates are seated from Michigan and Florida in a way that is equitable and fair to her so that she can draw closer in the delgate math and popular vote. In her estimation this is a win-win proposition. If Barack takes the bait she closes the gap by 50 or 80 delegates, and can claim the lead in the popular vote as well. She will say, "If we are counting the delegates, certainly we are counting the people that they represent." If Barack does not take the bait, she thinks she looks like the fighter for the people. The ONE who does not want to disenfranchise voters. The only nominee who fights for every single vote, etc. etc.
Look at the pressure that is being placed on top ranking officials:
In a heated phone call with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi late last month, Hillary Clinton supporter Harvey Weinstein threatened to cut off campaign money to congressional Democrats unless Pelosi embraced a new plan by the movie mogul to finance a revote of the Democratic presidential primaries in Florida and Michigan, according to three officials who were briefed on the contents of the conversation.
And now a letter from Hillary to Barack today as reported by The Hill:
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) on Thursday sent a letter to Democratic front-runner Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.), asking him to work with her on a solution to allow delegates from Florida and Michigan to help choose the party’s presidential nominee.
"Your commitment to the voters of these states must be clearly stated and your support for a fair and quick resolution must be clearly demonstrated," the former first lady said.
This is a classic big sister/little brother fight and one that MUST be solved by a repsonsible Democratic parent somewhere. Barack should not have to answer her and defend his position.
I've said this a thousand times... this is where Al Gore, or even John Kerry should step in and say, Rules are rules. Barack Obama did not set these rules. He simply agreed to them...as did Hillary Clinton...as did the DNC. These votes counted because they were cast. These votes counted because people went to the voting booths and pulled the lever. But these were not educated votes. These voters did not have the candidates campaign in their state. These voters did not even get to see all the names of the candidates. Some voters never left their homes because they knew the votes wouldn't count towards nominating a candidate. If the voters in Florida or Michigan want to be upset with someone, let them be upset at their local politicians who ignored the advise and demands of the Democratic National Party and decided to move up their primaries knowing they would forfeit their delegates.
Front 2
Convince delegates, and Americans that Barack Obama is too black and too liberal to win the nomination. That is why she is moving her campaign into West Virginia and Kentucky. These victories will help to cement the growing sense that Barack does not have a coalition that is large enough to win the nomination in the Fall. West Virginia voters will not vote for Barack because she has made this thing a battle between working class, blue collar workers (BEER DRINKING WHITE PEOPLE), and an effete, out-of-touch black guy. My-Oh-My, this dog will have legs in W.V. and Kentucky!
That's why she said this today:
"I have a much broader base to build a winning coalition on," she said in the interview, citing an article by The Associated Press.
It "found how Senator Obama’s support among working, hard-working Americans, white Americans, is weakening again, and how whites in both states who had not completed college were supporting me."
"There’s a pattern emerging here," she
That's why Begala said this:
Begala, a Clinton supporter, said the party could not win in November with just "eggheads and African-Americans," that the party could not ignore white middle-class voters.
If Clinton were to drop out of the race NOW Barack could make inroads with those folks on his terms, and the pundits could talk about his "rising white voter percentages." And the most insidious thing is that SHE KNOWS THIS.
So she will "forge" on being the tough fighter that she is, a true champion to the American people. And when Barack falters in W.V. and Kentucky... When he loses the white vote 70/30....
She will make the case that her buddy Rush Limbaugh is making today:
"I now believe he would be the weakest of the Democrat nominees," Limbaugh, among the most powerful voices in conservative radio, said on his program. "I now urge the Democrat superdelegates to make your mind up and publicly go for Obama."
"Barack Obama has shown he cannot get the votes Democrats need to win -- blue-collar, working-class people," Limbaugh said. "He can get effete snobs, he can get wealthy academics, he can get the young, and he can get the black vote, but Democrats do not win with that."
Great job Hillary. You are a true champion for the Democratic Party!